JEDDAH — A traditional handicraft exhibition under the banner ‘The Originality of the Past and Genuineness of the Present' will commence on Ramadan 2 at the Hilton Hall here. The four-day exhibition — organized for the second year in a row by the Dignity and Refinement Group for Exhibitions and Conferences in cooperation with the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) — will be inaugurated by Princess Nawf Bint Muqrin Bin Abdulaziz. The event seeks to promote aspiring women entrepreneurs and encourage their participation in the local industry, hence the exhibition will be attended by around 200 businesswomen, 40 families, 20 national factories and 10 charities. Hayfa Naji, CEO of the Dignity and Refinement Group for Exhibitions and Conferences and member of events committee at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industrial (JCCI), said that in addition to boosting local tourism, the event also aims at supporting small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. “It is an opportunity for families to showcase and market their products and it grants family members the opportunity to be economically independent. “The exhibition will include products like hand-woven clothes, abayas, henna works, traditional foods, flower arrangements, perfumes and household accessories. The bazaar is aimed at boosting our heritage, uplifting our artistic creativity and highlighting the traditional costumes of the Kingdom's various regions,” she said. Mohammed Al- Amri, executive manager of SCTA, said: “SCTA is in line with the overall vision and strategy of the Kingdom, which aims to include productive families in the Kingdom's development plans, support family members, and develop visible programs for their qualification and training.” He emphasized the importance of the handicraft sector and traditional industries as they fulfill the interests of citizens, particularly in the area of employment and jobs, contributing to the reduction of unemployment. He further revealed that the Kingdom's annual imports of traditional products is estimated at SR1.5 billion, meaning the market is there for handicrafts and if proper investments are made in this sector then there would be no need of importing them. “The bazaar gives people the chance to do charity work in the holy month of Ramadan. Our aim is to help these productive families to promote their products that is traditional handicrafts,” he said.
